New Year's Nerves
by snowwalking
Summary: Emma has a surprise planned for Regina, will she get the reaction she hopes for? Established Swan Queen.


**A/N I do not own Once Upon A Time or its characters, I am simply using them for creative expression.**

**This is meant to be a sequel to my story Unexpected Feelings. You don't have to have read that for this to make sense but I would love it if you would read it either first or after this :)**

** I've had this planned for a while now and have had so little time to write recently that it was nice to find a little bit of space to get this finished and published. Also, I have no idea what New Year in London is actually like this is just what I've guessed from seeing it on the TV. The reason this has come out a few days before New Year is because I'm going away and would rather put it up early than late!**

**I hope you enjoy it. Please leave me reviews!**

_Regina and Emma had been together for three years. In that time Emma had moved into the mansion and had been promoted to sheriff after Graham left town, she and Regina had got into the perfect parenting routine with Henry, and Regina was still working as the mayor though she had now let a few people in to help out so that she had more time to spend with her family. Overall the last three years had been practically perfect. The two women argued a lot; after their first few months together they had discovered that there was a plethora of things they disagreed on. After a raging argument; screaming and yelling and throwing stuff, the two would storm into their shared room, change silently into their pyjamas, take it in turns to use the bathroom and then crawl into bed, both lying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. The moment the light went out though, everything changed. When they lay together in the dark, none of it mattered anymore. One of them would reach their hand out and grasp the hand of their lover. When this happened they both knew their disagreement was over. Their arguments were rarely resolved but never lasted more than a couple of hours. Most of the time they agreed to disagree, but even this agreement wasn't made aloud. It was made by the touch of their fingers on one another's skin in the dark of their room when both silently agreed that it was over. None of their disagreements ever mattered because both knew that their love was stronger than any argument. There were times when Regina questioned this, and Emma knew that. Emma's past had been difficult for Regina to swallow, Regina didn't know how to help Emma to believe that she would never leave, nor was she ever sure that the blonde would stay. Every time they had one of their bigger arguments Regina would want to stop the fight as soon as possible because she worried that this would be the argument that would cause Emma to run. Even after three years together Regina was still terrified that Emma would leave. And Emma was terrified that Regina would want her to and she wouldn't know how. Regina was the first person that Emma had met that made her want to stay. The more they argued, the more that Emma knew that this was the only person she wanted to argue with for the rest of her life. Mary Margaret had questioned Emma about their relationship many times, she knew what Regina was like and she didn't want Emma to get hurt. Emma knew where Mary Margaret was coming from, but she also knew that her relationship with Regina could withstand anything. Emma also knew that there was only one way for her to reassure Regina that she wasn't going anywhere. Ever._

'Why won't you tell me where we're going, or how many people are coming with us?' Regina asked as she watched astonished by how many suitcases Emma had managed to fit into the trunk of the car. Henry's went in first, followed by Emma and Regina's, then Ruby's, Granny's, and finally Mary Margaret and David's.

'I won't tell you because it's a surprise.' Emma said, playfully slapping her girlfriend's arm.

'You know how I hate surprises Miss Swan.'

'Yes Madam Mayor, I am well aware of how much you hate surprises. That's why you had a huge grin on your face when I surprised you with a weekend of horse-riding for your birthday last year. Your hatred of surprises is the reason you first told me you loved me when I took you out to Boston and we walked into that restaurant and every single waiter, chef, and customer had a lilac rose for you. You hate surprises so much that –'

'Okay, okay, I get it. I do rather like surprises. This just seems like a rather large one with several parties involved and the office rang me this morning to wish me the best on my extended vacation. What exactly are you up to Emma?'

Emma wrapped her arms tightly around Regina's waist, looked deep into her eyes and sighed, 'You'll see my love. Until then can you just try and relax?' Regina shook her head slowly, Emma sighed again before pulling Regina even closer to her. 'You really can't relax? Not even for a couple of hours?'

'Not unless you make me,' the brunette husked.

'Is that so?' Emma asked with a glint in her eye. She then moved her arms to wrap them tightly around Regina's neck, pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss. Regina responded immediately and snaked her hands around Emma's waist. She let one hand sneak under the back of Emma's vest and stroke gently at the skin she exposed. Before the kiss became too intense Emma pulled away and looked deep into Regina's eyes once again. 'How was that? Are you relaxed now?'

'Well, I suppose so, now I just want to take you to bed, but I'm guessing your little surprise didn't leave time for that.'

'Oh, there will be time, just not until we reach our destination… If I can wait that long.' Regina caught the glint in Emma's eye as the blonde turned back to the house to call Henry out to the car.

**SQSQSQ**

The drive took three hours. Regina joined Henry in his chants of 'are we nearly there yet' while Emma kept her eyes on the road and tried not to feel too nervous about the days she had planned. Emma's car was followed by David's who was in charge of getting Mary Margaret, Ruby and Granny to their destination safely.

Just as Regina began another chant of 'are we nearly there yet', which had her son in fits of laughter in the back seat, she noticed Emma indicate to pull off the highway. She also noticed a sign for the airport, she smiled to herself realising that this would be the biggest surprise that Emma had pulled yet.

**SQSQSQ**

After almost 8 hours on a plane Regina was happy to have finally landed, she couldn't believe that Emma had flown them all out to London just in time for the New Year. It was something that Regina had always wanted to do but she had always thought of it as just a dream, she'd never considered that she'd have the time, or the desire to plan the journey, or most importantly the person to go with. It turned out that she had only needed to find one of those things because everything else had been sorted for her. She had found Emma and Emma had solved all of the other problems and now, here she was, setting foot in London for the first time. This was not the first time that Emma had made her dreams come true; Regina was learning that it was something she would have to get used to.

'Thank you,' she whispered to Emma as they walked up to collect their luggage.

'You're most welcome, my love,' Emma answered with a smile before leaning forwards to grab Granny's case. Everyone else's cases soon followed and Regina and Emma helped to quickly remove them from the belt before they went around again. Henry took each case and wheeled it to where Ruby, Granny, Mary Margaret and David were standing. Once Henry had wheeled the final case over Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and kissed her.

'I hope that you'll enjoy this trip as much as I have enjoyed planning it for you,' she murmured into Regina's mouth.

'As long as you are by my side I will enjoy anything I do, my love,' Regina replied. The two shared another kiss before they heard Henry's voice from across the room.

'Moms, get a room!' he called.

'Shall we?' Regina questioned, lowering the tone of her voice by an octave causing Emma to shiver.

'We shall, but first we have things to do.' Emma laced her fingers through Regina's, ruffled Henry's hair and grabbed a case.

**SQSQSQ**

Five days had gone by without a hitch; they had visited The National Gallery, and the Portrait Gallery as per Regina's request. Henry and David had convinced the group to go to the Science Museum and The Natural History Museum. Mary Margaret had begged they go to the British Museum while Ruby had wanted to go to the London Dungeons. Granny and Emma were simply happy to follow everybody else, though they took the opportunity to take everyone on the London Eye, since they were in the vicinity anyway after coming out of the London Dungeons. With all the museums and the sightseeing the group had done a lot of walking and all looked happier and healthier for it. On their final evening however Emma looked pale and was jumpy with everyone and everything.

'Emma dear, whatever is the matter? You've been acting strangely all day!' Emma jumped at Regina's sudden appearance.

'Oh, nothing, I think I must have eaten something bad or something. I'll be okay though.' Regina raised her eyebrows at this response.

'I don't think eating something bad would make you quite so jumpy dear. You seem nervous?'

'Nervous?' Emma squeaked and then coughed to return her voice to its usual pitch, 'no, not nervous. Excited!'

'Excited?'

'Yeah, for the fireworks, and the New Year, and everything that comes with it.' Emma pulled Regina into a tight hug, 'Not nervous at all.' Regina rubbed her hands up and down Emma's back.

'Yes, I suppose I'm rather excited too my love. Thank you for doing all of this for me. I don't deserve it; I don't deserve any of it. I know I've been awful to be around the last few weeks with work and haven't really had the chance to appreciate everything you have done for me. But I really do appreciate this trip, you getting me out of the house, the town, the country.' Regina laughed.

'You can appreciate me all you want later,' Emma said; her words dripping with innuendo making Regina's eyes darken with lust, 'but right now, we have somewhere to be.'

Emma grabbed her coat and threw it around her shoulders before helping Regina into hers. They walked into the foyer of the hotel and met the rest of their group where David and Henry were both wearing suits.

'You look very smart boys,' Regina noted.

'Oh, um, yeah, well it's not every year you get to celebrate the New Year in London,' Henry replied, looking at Emma with concern. Emma's face remained impassive as she laced her fingers through Regina's and led the group outside.

**SQSQSQ**

When Regina realised where Emma was taking them she squeezed her hand in anticipation. She looked up at the clock which read ten minutes to midnight and then turned to her lover with a look of pure adoration.

'I can't believe we're actually going to be here, by Big Ben, as the bells chime in the New Year! Thank you Emma, for everything.'

'No, thank you, Regina' Emma placed a sweet kiss to Regina's lips before she began pulling her through the crowd once again determined to be as close to the clock as was possible. As the minutes ticked away Regina noticed Emma growing more and more restless, rather than question it however she simply smiled at her lover and took in the atmosphere around them.

A voice boomed across the city asking the gatherers if they were ready to begin counting down to the New Year. _This is it_, Emma thought.

As the crowd called out the number ten Emma took Regina's hands in her own and was dazzled by the brunette's smile.

'Nine,' Emma fell to one knee.

'Eight,' Regina looked down at her girlfriend with a look of confusion, hope, and joy.

'Seven,' Emma reached into her pocket and took out a small box, which she slowly opened to reveal a ring that shone as brightly as Regina's smile.

'Six,' 'Regina Mills,'

'Five,' 'Will'

'Four,' 'You'

'Three,' 'Marry'

'Two,' 'Me?'

'One,' 'Yes!'

As the clock began to chime Regina pulled Emma to her feet and Emma slid the ring onto Regina's finger where it fit perfectly. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's neck and kissed her. Emma snaked her arms around her fiancée's waist as she slid her tongue across Regina's full red lips, waiting for permission. Regina parted her lips and pulled her arms tighter around Emma's neck as their tongues began the dance they had grown so accustomed to; each moving perfectly with and around the other. This time it was different though, this kiss held so much more weight than any kiss that had come before. This kiss held Emma's promises of her never leaving. It held Regina's understanding that Emma wasn't going to run. The fireworks were long forgotten as the two melted into each other. When the two finally came up for air Regina pulled away and looked deep into Emma's eyes. With stronger conviction than had ever been put behind the words before she said 'I love you, Emma Swan.'

'I love you, Regina Mills.'

As both women's eyes filled with tears Regina held her hand up behind Emma's head and watched as the ring sparkled with the light of the fireworks. She returned her gaze to Emma's face and smiled a tear-filled smile. They both whispered 'And I always will.'

Both women tuned into the cheers all around them, all the sounds of people calling in the New Year, all except five. There were five cheers that could be heard above the cheers of everyone around them. They were not cheers of anticipation of what was to come but cheers of joy for what had already passed. They were cheers of congratulations, shouts of 'it's about time' and, from Mary Margaret, tears as she finally realised that despite Emma and Regina's differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other.

**A/N Yep, I borrowed a line from The Notebook. I hadn't intended to but when I wrote the beginning it seemed to become very Notebook-esque so it felt appropriate.**


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